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one of them defeated the senior duo of thomas and rupesh in the finals to become national champions and other gave a tough 3 set fight in the semis ....may be they r better than the senior duo now but I dont know their level in major tourneys..

...While cricket was the runaway leader both in participation and following, with 62% and 85% respectively, 51% respondents favoured badminton as the sport they played most regularly, while 32% said they followed the same. Further details on the profile and size of the samples selected are awaited.

...The report assesses the participation and following of the top sports and the following for the top sports events by the Indian population, including analysis by age, income and gender.

Why did India abandon Field Hockey?

...While cricket was the runaway leader both in participation and following, with 62% and 85% respectively, 51% respondents favoured badminton as the sport they played most regularly, while 32% said they followed the same. Further details on the profile and size of the samples selected are awaited.

...The report assesses the participation and following of the top sports and the following for the top sports events by the Indian population, including analysis by age, income and gender.

.
Thanks for the link, cobalt.

It is great that Badminton is now India’s 2nd favourite sport (in participation), and India’s 4th favourite sport (in following).

What surprises me is that Field Hockey is no longer a big sport in India.

...While cricket was the runaway leader both in participation and following, with 62% and 85% respectively, 51% respondents favoured badminton as the sport they played most regularly, while 32% said they followed the same. Further details on the profile and size of the samples selected are awaited.

...The report assesses the participation and following of the top sports and the following for the top sports events by the Indian population, including analysis by age, income and gender.

Badminton maybe the second most played sport in india but its ironic that many people in India don't consider it as a 'tough' sport and just play it for recreation when they have nothing else to do. With many women players excelling in this sport in India .I've even heard many people say here that badminton is a 'feminine' sport

Badminton maybe the second most played sport in india but its ironic that many people in India don't consider it as a 'tough' sport and just play it for recreation when they have nothing else to do. With many women players excelling in this sport in India .I've even heard many people say here that badminton is a 'feminine' sport

I think the trend is pretty much changing now...especially in states like Andhrapradesh(Hyderabad as its base) and Maharashtra(Mumnai and Pune)....Maharashtra has started a league as Ipl and BAI is also planning the same....
Yeah,my friends say that too(But they still play that feminine sport )

I am still not convinced by India's ability to emerge as threat to the present powerhouses in badminton. They have excelled only in category (well i wont call it excel from the powerhouse perspective but doing alright).

Maybe in two/three years time they will be on the same level as Malaysia. Malaysian doubles and men's singles are still far more superior even though they are not as good as China and Indonesia.

Maybe Lin Dan should stay around longer to face the so-called upcoming Indian players...(i see a lot of names but none of them have proven themselves yet)

I don't think India has the ability to challenge the power houses as of now...especially in the doubles section....In men's singles,there are many names flying around..especially those of teenagers like saurabh varma(19),Sai praneeth(19),H.S.Pronoy(19),Sameer verma(17)...etc...but dunno how they gonna perform..Miqilin7 what r the names u hav heard..?

i have watched sameer and praneeth play...
still wonder why they dont have a weapon to kill the rally.
they are pretty good all round player with some beautiful deceptive shots.
but without weapon, it's hard to win the rally.
their style will work in junior stage, but might not in senior stage.
i cant see any improvement also from praneeth since 2 years ago...

they should work harder, and focus to sharpen a weapon shots.
hope they do well in the future...

I don't think India has the ability to challenge the power houses as of now...especially in the doubles section....In men's singles,there are many names flying around..especially those of teenagers like saurabh varma(19),Sai praneeth(19),H.S.Pronoy(19),Sameer verma(17)...etc...but dunno how they gonna perform..Miqilin7 what r the names u hav heard..?

Well i have been seeing a lot of Indian participants every tournament be it SS or Grand Prix Gold...Assuming what people claim to be true, India is soon going to threaten the status of other powerhouses. then Lin Dan should stay around longer to defeat these batch of players, a new dimension to his career.

New Delhi, April 23
Saina Nehwal will once again be the cynosure of all eyes but the India Open Super Series, the last qualifying event for Olympics, will hold more significance for her compatriots seeking to book berths for the quadrennial extravaganza.

Already assured of a berth, Saina will be desperate to win the India Open, starting tomorrow, but for Jwala Gutta, it will be her last chance to become the first Indian shuttler to qualify for two events, women's and mixed doubles events.

Already ahead in the run for qualification, it will also be the last chance for Ajay Jayaram to cement his place for the Olympics in men's singles.

Besides the Olympic qualification, the India Open also assumes significance for the young generation of Indian shuttlers who would hope to make an impression at the Siri Fort Sport Complex here.

World number five Saina will start her campaign against Pui Yin Yip of Hong Kong and is expected to reach the quarterfinals, where she is likely to meet two-time All England champion Tine Baun of Denmark. "It is a good draw, Tine Baun is there in the quarters.

Even the Chinese I had lost against in ABC will also play in the qualifiers here but I am confident. I am desperate to win the India Open," Saina said.

Jayaram, who lost in the second round in Asia Badminton Championship, will be up against compatriot Sourabh Verma in his tournament opener after world number 20 Rajiv Ouseph pulled out of the main draw. Sourabh was promoted from the qualifiers to the main draw yesterday.

The winner is likely to meet world number one Lee Chong Wei in the second round. Jayaram's competitor for the Olympic berth, P Kashyap will take on Belgium's Yuhan Tan in his first match and is likely to meet fifth seed Korean Hyun Il Lee if he advances.

It is also an important tournament for Jwala, in the running for qualifying in two events in the Olympics, partnering Ashwini Ponnappa and V Diju.

Jwala and Diju, ranked 16th in the world, will be up against Chinese pair of Tao Jiaming and Xia Huan in their campaign opener, while Jwala and Ashwini will meet seventh seed Hong Kong pair of Lok Yan Poon and Ying Suet Tse.

Top Indian men's doubles pair of Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas has fierce competition in top seed Korean combo of Jae Sung Jung and Yong Dae Lee in their opener.

Among others, rising shuttler P V Sindhu will lock horns with Tzu Ying Tai of Chinese Taipei in the women's singles, while RMV Gurusaidutt, who was promoted to the main draw yesterday, will take on a qualifier on Wednesday.

Pranav Chopra and Prajakta Sawant will face Japan's Noriyasu Hirata and Miyuki Maeda, while Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan will take on seventh seed Japanese Shintaro Ikeda and Reiko Shiota in the mixed doubles. In another mixed doubles match, Akshay Dewalkar and Pradnya Gadre will fight it out with third seeded Korean pair of Yong Dae Lee and Jung Eun Ha.

In women's doubles, Aparna and Siki Reddy will face off Yixin Bao and Qianxin Zhong of China in the first round, while Pradnya Gadre and Prajakta Sawant will meet Thai pair of Duanganong Aroonkesorn and Kunchala Voravichitchaikul. Also in the fray, P Jyotshna and PC Thulasi will take on Korean combo of Hye Won Eom and Ye Na Jang in women's doubles. ó PTI

This time, Saina Nehwal did not disappoint the gathering at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. A surprisingly large turnout on the first day of the India Open Super Series cheered the third seeded Indian the moment she entered the playing arena, and it seemed as if they needed the win more than her. Saina easily outplayed Pui Yip Yin of Hong Kong 21-12, 21-9 to put to rest the bitter memories of last year's first round exit here. Her strokes looked effortless and the game smooth, partially because of her opponent's numerous unforced errors.

ďI was confident about this match. She did not fight back in the second game which made things simpler,Ē said Saina.

No time to warm-up
However, Jwala Gutta and V Diju had no such luck as they went down to Xia Huan and Tao Jiaming 21-18, 21-19, which could dent their world ranking. The world No 16 pair blamed it to the change in the match schedule, which gave them very little time to warm up for the match.

However, chief referee, TM Ponambalum, said the pair was aware of the changes, which were done to finish the day's matches on time.

ďThe decision had been conveyed by me to Jwala personally. She had asked for extra time which I gave her. There seems to be miscommunication between the players,Ē said Ponambalum.

Good show
It was one of the best starts for Indian players in recent Super Series tournaments.

NAGPUR: Indian badminton coach Edwin Iriawan wasn't a worried man when things weren't going Saina Nehwal's way last year. He was aware of her potential. The Indonesian now wants all to give respect to country's best bet at the Olympics and is very much optimistic about her chances in London.

Edwin said that Saina is shaping up nicely for the quadrennial event. "Saina is preparing hard and we have a special program for her. We can expect a different Saina in London," Edwin told a news conference on Tuesday.

"Saina is ranked No. 5 in the world and above her we have four chinese shuttlers. After China we have Saina," Edwin said with a smile. "We should respect her. She has done well for the country. Saina's game is not going down; instead she is getting a tough competition. Most of her opponents have read her game and that's bound to happen when you play at the highest level."

"There's no point analyzing what has happened before. I always believe in looking forward. There's no secret to good form. It's only about staying focused and Saina is focused," added the 45-year-old, who is in the city to guide players and coaches of the region.

On other shuttlers' chances and Indian teams' preparations ahead of the London games, he said, "We will try hard and with a good team work we can expect more medals."

In his year-long tenure with the Indian contingent, Edwin found a new star in PV Sindhu. He rates her as the next big thing after Saina in women circle. "In the years to come I see bright prospect for 16-year-old Sindhu, who I think can go the distance. Sindhu will be the next Saina in India. Also there are many good upcoming players in the men's section too."

He also had a word of advice for the upcoming players who Edwin thinks are a bit lazy in their approach. "Most of the upcoming shuttlers in India are lazy. Sometimes they are not honest with their coaches. My suggestion to them is 'if you are lazy or if you don't like badminton it's better to stop'," said Edwin adding, "It's the responsibility of the coaches to bring discipline amongst the children at the small age."

When asked about the Indian badminton five years down the line, he said, "I see a very bright future for Indian badminton. Only thing I want is a good team work from all players, coaches and from the administrators too. More money should be brought in the game. There should be more and more tournaments in all the categories. Players in all the age groups should be kept busy through out the year and they should be paid for their performance. For that associations from local, state to national level should work as a team and conduct championships at regular intervals, that too with good prize money."

Arjuna Award in 1999, the Rajiv Khel Ratna in 2001 and Dronacharya Award in 2009: could an Indian sportsperson ask for more? Yes, if that individual happens to be badminton great Pullela Gopichand.

...Today, as a talent spotter and coach, he is giving back to the game everything that he earned from it. Gopichand is passing on his exemplary skills to a future generation of Indian badminton players.

Gopichandís day at the academy begins as early as 4.30 in the morning and stretches all the way until seven in the evening. He never complains about what the sporting set-up in this country lacks; instead he goes about quietly making a difference through his own personal efforts.

...How do you rate Indian badminton at present? How is the current lot doing?The top players are doing well. They are on the right track. In the years to come they will do more hard work and get more confidence. And with that they will do better.

...Last December Saina created history by reaching the BWF (Badminton World Federation) Superseries Final. But since then, she has not been able to perform to her potential. Will she bounce back?She is just 21. I expect her to do well in the future. She is still young. Ups and downs are normal in a sportspersonís life. The kind of schedule she has, she will find it difficult to come back on track immediately but we are working on that. She is a hard-working girl and I have belief in her.

...You have two children and the elder daughter is also playing badminton. Last year she won the under-10 championship. Would you like them to pursue badminton?She is only eight years old. I donít know whether they will be playing professionally or not. Sport is a great way of life. I will support them if they want to play. But I wonít press them to play.

What would you like to say to those who always complain that India doesnít have a sporting culture?
I think the key is not to complain. I think the key is to accept things as they are. But donít accept the result if they are negative. The key is to think no matter what the situation is I am going to win.

In India, big academies are confined to one city. Like National Cricket Academy (NCA) and your Badminton Academy in Bangalore, and a squash academy in Chennai? Donít you feel it is not good for
Indian sports?I think it is important that we should have more infrastructure, better officials and committed coaches. Everything has to grow manifold. Infrastructure has to grow, coaches have to grow, training has to grow and players have to grow.

What do you think about the proposed Sports Bill?
If you look at the overall aspects of the Bill, something which excites me and which I find very good is the 25 per cent reservation for sportspersons. It is really fantastic. The general principles of good governance and accountability are important aspects of administration. With more accountability there will be more transparency. I support this Bill.

Will we see you playing an important role in the federation?
No, I donít think I am cut out for the job. But I would do everything to make India a powerhouse in world badminton. I would also love to see sport as an important aspect of Indian culture.